Collisions

The force aims to provide the best possible service to anyone unfortunate enough to have been involved in a collision on Staffordshire's roads. Our collisions page is produced in association with our partners at RAC Legal Services and provides you with information on what you need to do and what we'll do following a collision.

If you are involved in a collision which creates an emergency situation you should dial 999; this includes:

Collisions involving serious injury.

Collisions that creates a hazardous situation, such as a blocked road or carriageway; hazardous debris; damage to railway tracks/bridges etc; risk of fire; hazardous loads such as chemicals or gas.

Information on non-emergency collisions can be found below and has been produced thanks to a unique collaboration with RAC Legal Services.

RAC Collision Helpline: 0800 107 2338 (available 24 hours).

Alternatively you can go direct to a solicitor or to a regulated claims management company for advice and assistance, please see useful contact numbers.

Some animals are not included in the definition of 'animal' given in the road traffic act, however if you are involved in an incident involving the above you are required to report this to the police by law.

Contact should be made with the police as soon as possible and within 24 hours of the collision.

You will be asked your name and contact details, details of the vehicle and animal involved. Whether there are any witnesses. You may also be asked if you have traced the animal's owner and if the collision has created further hazards.

Following this assessment there may be no need for an officer to attend, but you will be given an incident reference when you contact Staffordshire Police, for insurance purposes.

Please report using Staffordshire Police 101 system, unless there immediate risk to other road users when 999 emergency should be used.

In non-injury collisions where details have been exchanged (in accordance with the law), there is no need to report the incident to the police.

These details should be passed directly to your insurance company to deal with and to decide who is at fault.

In all other cases, especially where injury has occurred, the police will compile a full collision report. Please note: you are entitled to request insurance details from other parties under Section 154 of the
Road Traffic Act 1988. Should any person fail to supply this information, they may be committing an offence.

Staffordshire Police are unable to provide drivers with the insurance details of other motorists.

If it is at the time and you believe the driver of another vehicle has been driving while over the legal alcohol limit, contact the police straight away via 999.

Failing to stop if you are in a collision involving injury or damage to property is an offence. If a driver fails to stop or leaves the scene of a collision without giving details, you should notify the police as soon as possible or in any case within 24 hours.

Where possible you should try to provide as much useful information as possible, giving:

the time

place

nature of the incident

details of the car

details of the driver

direction of travel when leaving the scene

Where possible, Staffordshire Police will fully investigate and report any collision where:

a driver has failed to stop at the scene

failed to report the collision as required

failed to provide details as required

If it is at the time and you believe the driver of another vehicle has been driving while over the legal alcohol limit, contact the police straight away via 999.

Our primary role is to prevent any further collisions; ensure the injured are treated; investigate the collision to determine the cause and whether offences have been committed; ensure traffic flows freely and to arrange the recovery of vehicles.

If you believe the driver of another vehicle has been driving while over the legal alcohol limit, contact the police as soon as possible on 999.